Research Into Genre - Psychological Thriller

Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the broad-ranged thriller and horror genres. It often emphasises the psychology of its characters and their unstable emotional states. However, it often incorporates elements from the mystery and drama genre, in addition to the typical traits of the thriller genre.

Psychological Thriller is categorised into numerous different themes:

• Reality: – The quality of being real. Characters often try to determine what is true and what is not within the narrative. An example of this type of psychological thriller is 'Memento' (2000) in which a man named Leonard (Guy Pearce) is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. However, the difficulty of locating his wife's killer is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his accident, Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he's going, or why. Hence, he struggles to decipher what is real and what is not.

• Perception: – A person's own interpretation of the world around them through their senses. Often characters misconceive the world around them, or their perceptions are altered by outside factors within the narrative. An example is 'The Machinist' (2004), in which factory worker Trevor Reznik (Christian Bale) suffers from insomnia so severe that his condition has taken its toll on his weight and his mental health. When Trevor unintentionally causes an on-the-job accident that horribly injures a coworker (Michael Ironside), he begins to become even more troubled. Despite a relationship with Stevie (Jennifer Jason Leigh), an attractive prostitute, Trevor descends further into paranoia, blaming his problems on an enigmatic figure named Ivan (John Sharian). After, this, his perception of reality begins to become distorted.

• Mind: – The human consciousness; the location for personality, thought, reason, memory, intelligence and emotion. The mind is often used as a location for narrative conflict, where characters battle their own minds to reach a new level of understanding or perception. A good example of this type of psychological thriller is 'Jacob's Ladder' (1990), in which Vietnam War veteran Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) struggles to maintain his sanity after returning from Southeast Asia. Plagued by hallucinations and flashbacks, Singer rapidly falls apart as the world and people around him morph and twist into disturbing images. His girlfriend, Jezzie (Elizabeth Peña), and ex-wife, Sarah (Patricia Kalember), try to help, but to little avail. Even Singer's chiropractor friend, Louis (Danny Aiello), fails to reach him as he descends into madness.

• Existence/Purpose: – The object for which something exists; an aim or a goal humans strive towards to understand their reason for existence. Characters often try to discover what their purpose is in their lives and the narrative's conflict often is a way for the characters to discover this purpose. An example of this is 'Taxi Driver' (1976), in which  lonely, disturbed insomniac Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) takes a job as a New York City taxi driver, haunting the streets nightly, growing increasingly detached from reality as he dreams of cleaning up the filthy city. When Travis meets pretty campaign worker Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), he becomes obsessed with the idea of saving the world, first plotting to assassinate a presidential candidate, then directing his attentions toward rescuing 12-year-old prostitute Iris (Jodie Foster). He then dedicates to this idea to such an extent that it becomes what he believes to be the purpose of his existence.

• Identity: – The definition of one's self. Characters often are confused about or doubt who they are and try to discover their true identity. They may also display several different identities in a schizophrenic fashion. An example of this type of psychological thriller is 'Mr Brooks' (2007), in which well-respected businessman Earl Brooks (Kevin Costner) has a secret: Beneath his family-man facade lurks a murderous alter-ego named Marshall (William Hurt). Brooks struggles with his addiction to killing, but Marshall enjoys his grisly hobby too much to let go. Finally, Brooks resolves to commit one final murder, but a voyeur (Dane Cook) witnesses it and blackmails him to continue. With a detective (Demi Moore) hot on his trail, Brooks/Marshall must spin an increasingly elaborate web. Within the film, Brooks often finds himself split between these two personalities and struggles to determine who he really is.

• Death: – The cessation of life. Characters either fear or have a fascination with death. A good example of this is a Japanese film: 'Death Note' (2006). Light Yagami (Tatsuya Fujiwara) is a normal, undistinguished college student, until he discovers an odd notebook lying on the ground, which he soon discovers to have a magic power. If someone's name is written on it while the writer imagines that person's face, he or she will die. Intoxicated with his new godlike power, Light kills those he deems unworthy of life, but a mysterious detective known only as L (Ken'ichi Matsuyama) becomes determined to put a stop to his reign. In the film, Light develops an obsession with death and begins to use his new supernatural power to his own benefit in an almost psychotic manner.